Electrostatic cleaning device



Nw. l10, 1936. N R, BERNZ 2,060,018

ELECTROSTATIVC CLEANING DEVICE Filed Nov( s, 1935 ALM l'NvENToR, la/af /ef/zz;

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. l0, 1936 ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELEcrnos'rA'rrc CLEANING DEVICE Niles R. Bem, New York, N. Y. Application November 3, 1933, Serial No. 696,495

3 Claims.

The invention relates to electrostatic cleaning devices or brushes, including handles, and has.

particular reference to cleaning or wiping elements therefor.

The type of' device at present disclosed-is one in which the cleaning elements are constructed of electrically non-conducting. material, and the term brush as herein used, is applied not in a broad sense, but with particular reference to the said material and accompanying structure.

Brush elements are used for removing matter or particles from materials or surfaces to be cleaned, but whereas such removal, apart from accompanying devices such as those which include vacuum chambers, has heretofore involved external shifting or transfer of the particles from one surface, or from one part thereof, to another, one of the objects of this invention is to collect the matter which is being removed, whereby to prevent such transfer.

I'he brush or electrostatic cleaner is swept or rubbed along the surface to be cleaned, so that the wiping elements may engage the particles, and in order that the latter may be lifted and collected simultaneously with the engaging operation. Features of the invention reside in the arrangement of the saidelements, and their composition and mode of operation.

In the materials, including rubber of the indurated type, or ebonite, from which the elements may be formed, electrostatic charges may be readily induced frictionally, or during the wiping operation. The charges thus induced may be either positive or negative, whereas the particles, not being charged, are neutral.

When the charge of the elements is negative, consisting of an excess of electrons, the electrons of the neutral particles of matter are repelled, since like charges repel each other. This repulsion moves the electrons of said particle to the sides thereof which are distant from said elements, which in turn causes the protons of the particles to move nearest to the electrons of the elements, and since unlike charges attract each other, the negatively charged brush elements then attract the particles thereto.

As the charges are induced frictionally in the elements, it follows that, to secure another object v (Cl. 15--104l the aforesaid materials, since others may be used; and although the range of particles of one type of matter, such as light pieces of fibrous material, earthy matter, and metal, which are removable by the electrified members, is large, particles or quantities of other kinds of matter, may be removed or collected by these members.

Another feature of the invention is a cleaning device for the wiping members, and as the latter are rigid with the handle, while said device is relatively movable, a still further object is to utilize the handle as a guide or track for the said movable member.

With the above indicated objects and advantages in view, as well as others which will hereinafter appear, the invention resides in certain novel arrangements of structures and combinations of parts, the essential elements and features of which are hereinafter clearly described, and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a lateral Ielevational view of an electrostatic cleaner;

Fig. 2 a bottom planview thereof; h

Fig. 3 a vertical section takenon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; y

Fig. 4 a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 an elevational view of a modified form of blade cleaning element; and 4 30 Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged view of another modied structure.

Similar characters of reference are applied to corresponding parts throughout the various views. 35

Disposed in a handle or back I0 of insulating material or wood, as illustrated in the present instance, is a plurality of grooves Il, `each alike and extending practically throughout the length of the handle.

In these grooves are secured blades I2, also of insulating material, and each including a top .edge I3 and a bottom edge I4. The top edges are engaged in the grooves Il, frictionally as herein '45 disclosed, but adhesive material, as in the said grooves, or any well known fastening elements, not shown, may also be used.

The handle III is inclined or pointed at one end i5 thereof,and symmetrical with this are the ends I6 of said blades, to render the structurey suitable for reaching into narrow places or recesses. The blades I2, although of suitable strength, are relatively thin, to secure a maximum area 'for carrying electrical charges, and

the bottom edges Il are rounded, for easy movement along a fabric or other surface.

l Disposed in opposite sides of the handle are grooves I1, I8, the front ends I8, 20 of which form stops, while the opposite ends thereof,

except as hereinafter noted, are open. Above these grooves are recesses 2l, 22, so that the handle may be suitably gripped.

The cleaning device for the blades i2 includes.

said rubber is slotted. as shown, to receive orv miovably fit the blades, so that the latter are very emciently cleaned during movement of the said device. This movement is controllably guided by opposed ends 29, III, of outer extensions, as ll, I2, of the plates 2l, 2l, which ends are slidably disposed in the side grooves of the handle.

As shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, the blade cleaning device is releasably secured to an end Il of the handle, there being a curled tongue I4, struck out of the plate 24, which releasably engages said end. Opposite the opening thus made in the plate, and in the manipulable end of the blade cleaner, is another opening 35'; this being in the rubber. 21; and as these openings register with another opening in the plate 25 (see Fig. 4) the device may be suspended thereby.

One relatively moved position of the cleaning device for the blades is shown in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1. Said device is freely turnable or reversible between end stops, those at the right hand end being formed by plates 25, 3B, which are screwed or pinned into the handle Iii, as shown in Fig. 2, after insertion of the ends 20, 30, in the side grooves I1, I8. The blades I2 are curved at their ends 31, to allow of swinging movement of the blade cleaning device into and out of the engaged position, the latter being shown in the full lines.

The curved end of the tongue u is springable, where it engages the end 3l of the handle, which is similarly curved or formed with a recess I2'. Since the ends 29, Il of the blade cleaning device engage against the stops I5, 2l, said tongue snaps into the recess, and, forming a catch, secures the holding function.

A single piece, which may be of metal or insulating material, forms the blade cleaning member 40 of Fig. 5. In this case the manipulating end 24a is provided with an aperture Ila, and slots 2li between teeth 28a are adapted to movably fit the blades, whereby said blades may be'cleaned by the teeth, when relatively moved.

As shown in Fig. 6, the handle Illa has secured thereto and depending at an inclined angle from the bottom face thereof blades I2, which are of the same material as the other blades. In this case when the implement is moved in the direction of the arrow, the material collected tends to accumulate on the upper faces of the blades, so that they form an additional holding means.

As the hereinbefore described construction admits of further modifications, without departing from the invention, the particular arrangements show; should be taken as illustrative, and not in a limited sense; therefore. the scope of the protection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appended claims, interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a cleaning device comprising a handle including a fiat face having spaced grooves therein, said handle having also opposed grooves therein, rigid strips having edge portions fixed in the spaced` grooves, said strips having their opposite edges disposed on a plane parallel with said face whereby to remove particles from an article to be cleaned, and means for cleaning said strips, said means including a frame having a manipulable end, said frame having opposed terminals movably disposed in said opposed grooves, and yieldable material carried by said frame and having portions disposed between and engaging opposite sides of said strips, so that on manipulation of said end, said portions may remove the particles from said sides.

2. The combination of a cleaning device comprising a handle, spaced cleaning strips rigidly carried by said handle, means relatively movably attached to said handle, said means including a manipulable plate, and a sheet ofyieldable material mounted on said plate and having spaced members extending therefrom for entering the spaces between said elements to clean the latter.

3. In combination, a handle comprising a practically rectangular slab having grooves extending along the length of one flat face thereof, said handle having opposed guide grooves in its sides, thin rigid substantially flat members having edge portions fast in the first grooves, said members having their opposite edge portions disposed on the same plane whereby to remove material from an article to be cleaned, and means for cleaning the material from said members, said means including a manipulable frame comprising a pair of spaced plates, relatively small members extendof said strips.

NILIB R. BERNZ. 

